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News Nuggets, 06.24.05
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Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

Gamecocks' top offensive threat suspended

COLUMBIA — South Carolina running back Cory Boyd has been suspended from the team for violating athletic department policy.

School spokeswoman Michelle Schmitt said Thursday in a statement that while Boyd ``is a student in good standing with the University and currently enrolled in classes, he is not part of the football team due to athletic department policy.''

Summers' suspension is the latest of a long string of disciplinary actions taken by the program against players dating back to the final regular season game of last season.

After the dismissal of running back Demetris Summers and receiver Troy Williamson's leap to the NFL, Boyd was to be the Gamecocks' top returning rusher and receiver.

CWS: Gators advance to title round vs. Texas

OMAHA — When a fan interfered on a foul ball and the call went against Florida, the Gators got steamed.

They responded with a display of power Thursday night, hitting three homers and winning their way into the championship round of the College World Series.

Brian Leclerc, Adam Davis and Matt LaPorta homered as Florida rallied from an early 3-0 deficit and beat Arizona State 6-3, ending the Sun Devils' dazzling run.

``We were all pretty upset. We decided in the dugout to use it as a bit of fuel. That's what we did,'' Davis said of the fourth-inning call.

Florida (48-21) moves to the best-of-three final round beginning Saturday against Texas. The Gators will be seeking their first CWS title in their fifth appearance.

With the Gators down three, home plate umpire Bill Davis called Florida's Brandon McArthur out after a fan reached for the foul ball near the screen and prevented Sun Devils catcher Tuffy Gosewisch from catching it.

The umpire's ruling prompted a heated argument from Florida coach Pat McMahon. The umpires conferred, but the call stood.

Leclerc, the next hitter, drove out a two-run homer off ASU starter Jason Urquidez to cut the Sun Devils' lead to 3-2.

``I just took a step back and looked at Coach Mac and he was pretty upset. I wanted to put a smile on his face,'' Leclerc said.

``Obviously I disagreed with the umpire. He put himself in a tremendous position to make the call and he felt it was the proper call,'' McMahon said.

``Our guys have to focus through things in the game and they did that. Leclerc got us going and we needed that. That became a spark for us and a lot of guys added to that.''

Gosewisch said the call was a correct one.

``When the fan interfered, I had the ball right above my glove,'' he said.

``I don't know if it lit a fire under them. Getting behind that next batter and having him hit a home run lit more of a fire than that call did.''

Arizona State (42-25) had won three straight elimination games after losing its CWS opener, including a 6-1 win over Florida on Wednesday.

``I believed to the last pitch, even when the ball was going to the shortstop, that he would boot it,'' said ASU coach Pat Murphy of his gritty team that had already rallied for a pair of wins.

``That was a fun experience, but I'm not excited about going home,'' he added.

Urquidez, making his third start of the CWS, was lifted after giving up a single to Stephen Barton in the fifth.

Jeff Corsaletti greeted reliever Brett Bordes (5-7) with a single before Davis connected on a three-run homer for a 5-3 lead. LaPorta then followed with his 26th homer of the season — tops in the nation — on a long shot to left, to put Florida up by three runs.

``We had the pitcher on the mound we wanted in that situation,'' Murphy said.

Boss (9-4), who came in when Gators starter Alan Horne left with an upper left leg injury in the fourth inning, got the victory by pitching 5 2-3 innings of shutout relief.

Horne, the winner in the Gators' first-round victory over Tennessee, threw a pitch to Joey Hooft in the fourth inning and then fell off the mound in pain. After staying down for several minutes, he was helped off the field.

Horne returned to the field on crutches after the game to congratulate his teammates.

``It's in his hamstring area. The simple answer is that he's day to day,'' McMahon said.

``You need to know how tough he is,'' Boss said of Horne. ``When he came back in the dugout and coach asked him how he was, he said we had to get this one wrapped up so he could pitch again this weekend.''

The Sun Devils wasted little time getting to Horne as Jeff Larish and Travis Buck hit back-to-back doubles to start the game and make it 1-0. Buck got to third on an infield out and scampered home on Horne's wild pitch.

Larish, who homered three times in a victory over Nebraska, came through again in the second with an RBI single.

News Nuggets are compiled periodically based on material supplied by staff members; data published by ECU, Conference USA and its member schools; and reports from Associated Press and other sources. Copyright 2005 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Page Updated: 02/23/2007 12:25 PM